Big City Defiance on Sanctuary Cities

Hear ye, hear ye! Their honors, the mayors of Big Democrat metropolises, have taken a brave stand in defying the Trump administration’s new executive order cutting off federal funds to sanctuary cities:

As Trump announced the order — as well as action to build a wall along the U.S-Mexico border and hire thousands of new border patrol agents and immigration officers — leaders of some of the nation’s biggest cities flatly stated they would not be cooperating with the president.

And just who might these pillars of public service be? Pretty much the usual suspects:

In Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh called the executive order an attack on “Boston’s people, Boston’s strength and Boston’s values.”

“If people want to live here, they’ll live here,” Walsh told reporters at a news conference. “They can use my office. They can use any office in this building.”

Yeah, Marty. I’m sure you’ll let them take you up on that offer. Perhaps we can set up a Go Fund Me to provide cab fare for those huddled masses who want to crash at the mayor’s pad? I’ll be the first to chip in.

In Seattle, Mayor Ed Murray said that he had directed city departments to review their budgets to prepare for a potential loss of federal funding, the Associated Press reports.

“This city will not be bullied by this administration,” Murray said. “We believe we have the rule of law and the courts on our side.”

Um, Ed–seeing as you’re abetting a violation of federal immigration statutes, I’m pretty sure the law’s not on your side.

In Chicago. . .Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed that the nation’s third largest city would remain a sanctuary city.

“I want to be clear. We’re gonna stay a sanctuary city,” Emanuel said. “There is no stranger among us. We welcome people, whether you’re from Poland or Pakistan, whether you’re from Ireland or India or Israel and whether you’re from Mexico or Moldova, where my grandfather came from, you are welcome in Chicago as you pursue the American Dream.”

Left unsaid was how Chicago’s wave of violent crime and murder has illegal immigrants so scared, they don’t want to go there anyway. So at least Rahm knows he’s off the hook.

The best, however, is New York City’s own “Che” de Blasio, who proves–like the voters who elected him–if you’re gonna do something stupid, you may as well go big:

De Blasio said that the city has been able to dramatically reduce the crime rate in the nation’s largest city, in part, because relationships the police department has managed to build in immigrant communities. He added that if Trump follows through with the plan it would mean he’s effectively cutting funding from the New York Police Department. An early analysis by NYC officials suggested that about $156 million in federal funding for the NYPD could be impacted.

“Here in New York City and in cities across the nation, this executive order could in fact undermine public safety and make our neighborhoods less safe,” de Blasio said.

Got that, New Yorkers? Your mayor says if crime skyrockets, that’s okay so long as Hizzoner’s conscience is clear.

I actually think that if the Trump administration plays this the right way, it could be a real opportunity. De Blasio doesn’t exactly have a great relationship with the NYPD, and the Fraternal Order of Police already backed Trump in the election. It wouldn’t be hard for Trump to drive an even bigger wedge between de Blasio and the cops, especially when they tell everyone that the mayor is more concerned about the well-being of illegal immigrants than he is about the safety of his own citizens. My guess is that de Blasio would fold faster than a cheap suit, and the other mayors would follow.